The Venus flytrap plant, or as it is also called Dionaea, is one of the types of insectivorous predatory crops belonging to the sundew family.

General information

In the wild, the flower grows in swampy peatlands of North Carolina and New Jersey. This plant is endangered in America, so environmental organizations monitor it.

The Venus flytrap was discovered in 1760. At the same time, botanists named her Dionea in honor of the Greek goddess Venus, who was the mother of Aphrodite. As an indoor plant, the plant is very popular and is grown all over the globe.

Monotypic genus Dionea

The Venus flytrap is the only representative of its genus. However, botanists still distinguish several varieties of the crop that have minor differences among themselves.

Dionaea is a predatory herbaceous perennial belonging to the sundew family. The height of the plant is up to 15 centimeters. The stem of the crop is bulbous, the inflorescences are white, corymbose, located on a long peduncle.

Since the flower grows in swampy soil with a low nitrogen content, it receives this element necessary for growth and development from insects and slugs, which it catches with its traps.

The leaf blades of the crop grow from a short stem, forming a rosette. Typically, one flycatcher bush has from 4 to 7 bright green leaves. Flower traps appear after flowering. Their length ranges from 8 to 15 centimeters. They are green on the outside and red on the inside. They grow on short petioles collected in rosettes. The petioles begin to lengthen over time and take on a vertical position.

The traps are two slamming doors with teeth along the edges. Inside them there are glands that produce a sweet substance that attracts insects. In addition to the glands, the traps contain three small outgrowths that are triggered to close as soon as the Dionaea grabs a fly or slug.

After the insect is trapped, the culture begins to secrete digestive juice, with the help of which the prey is digested, lasting from 5 to 10 days, after which the trap opens again. The death of leaf traps occurs after they have caught and digested two to three insects, but it also happens that they continue to live until their catch reaches seven victims.

Venus flytrap home care

For normal height and the development of the plant, it should be placed on the eastern or western windowsill. You can also place the crop in the south, but only if it is shaded from the midday sun. The plant really likes fresh air, so the room in which it is located must be constantly ventilated, but at the same time it should be protected from drafts.

In summer, the crop must be taken out onto the balcony so that it can catch insects. So that in the spring and autumn the dionea has enough light and its leaves do not turn pale or stretch out, it should be supplemented with light using a phytolamp, making sure that its daylight hours are at least 12-14 hours.

If the crop is grown in terrariums in order to maintain high air humidity, in this case the phytolamp must be used up to 15 hours a day. Since the flytrap is a heat-loving crop, during the growing season and the formation of leaf traps, the temperature of its content should be 22-30 degrees.

During the dormant period, which lasts for Dionaea from three to four months, it should be moved to a cool room where the temperature will not exceed 7-10 degrees.

The sundew is also a member of the sundew family of carnivorous plants. It can be grown with care at home without much hassle if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. You can find all the necessary recommendations for growing and caring for them in this article.

Watering a Venus flytrap

Since in its natural habitat the Venus flytrap grows in depleted soil, it root system reacts poorly to components found in ordinary tap water. Therefore, the plant should be watered with rain, distilled, filtered or boiled water, which should be stored in a glass container.

The soil in a pot with a carnivorous plant must always be moist, otherwise Dionaea may get sick and die. Watering the flower is carried out only in the tray. Top watering is unacceptable due to the fact that the soil begins to compact, depriving the root system of access to oxygen. To top layer If the soil in the mixture dries out less, it is necessary to mulch the pot with sphagnum moss.

To better drink the soil, you should pour so much water into the pan so that it is only enough to cover the bottom of the pot with drainage holes, then the mixture will be well moistened and there will be no flooding.

It is necessary to monitor the quality of water in the pan. It shouldn't be stagnant. In summer, when the temperature begins to rise, the flytrap should be sprayed daily to maintain the necessary air humidity. In winter, spraying is excluded, but the condition of the soil must be constantly monitored so that it does not dry out or become waterlogged.

Soil for the Venus flytrap

The soil for the Venus flytrap should be lunch-grade. If it is planted in nutritious soil, then its root system will not be able to absorb the mixture of mineral salts from the soil and the crop will die.

The best substrate for a flower will be high-moor peat mixed with quartz sand in equal parts. Quartz sand can be replaced with perlite, previously well soaked in distilled water.

When choosing peat, you should take into account that in nature the plant grows in soils with an acidity of 3.5 to 4.5 pH.

Venus flytrap pot

The Venus flytrap should be planted in a light-colored pot, but many gardeners grow it in aquariums or terrariums. In such conditions, the plant will be protected from drafts, but at the same time fresh air will flow well to it. If the crop is planted in a regular pot, then its diameter should not be more than 12 centimeters and its depth should not be more than 20 centimeters.

The color of the container also has great value. If a dark pot is chosen, the roots will begin to overheat in the sun, which will ultimately lead to the death of the plant. To protect the roots from the sun and dry out the mixture, the surface of the substrate must be covered with damp sphagnum.

The pot must have drainage holes and a tray. Drainage is not needed when planting dionaea. There should always be a small amount of fresh water in the pan to maintain optimal soil moisture.

Transplanting a Venus flytrap

When purchasing a plant in a store, it should be immediately replanted in a mixture of previously prepared soil. To do this, you need to remove the flower from the pot, clean the root system from the soil and rinse it in warm boiled water.

You need to put a layer of soil in the prepared pot, then place the plant on it, carefully straightening the root system and sprinkling it with the remaining soil along with the stem. There is no need to press the mixture into the ground. After transplantation, the plant should be watered and moved to a warm place with light shade.

Adaptation to the new pot and soil will last about a month. At this time, the crop should be carefully cared for.

Dionaea does not need to be replanted annually. The plant's soil is not depleted and does not become salty, so replanting should be done every 3-5 years or only if the roots rot due to waterlogging of the substrate.

How and what to feed a Venus flytrap at home?

The plant does not need fertilizers, since its root system does not take nutrients from the soil, but synthesizes them independently from insects caught using trap leaves. Most often, the flycatcher feeds on bees, slugs, flies and spiders. From them, the crop receives nitrogen, which it needs for growth and development.

In the summer you can provide her with such food without any problems, but in early spring you will need to purchase insects for feeding at a pet store and only alive. Meat and dead insects should not be given to the flycatcher!

You should feed your green pet twice a month. You should not feed the plant hard-shelled insects or large beetles, as they will damage the trap. A sick Dionaea should not be fed until complete recovery. It is also not recommended to feed a recently transplanted crop. This should not be done during the rest period either.

Venus flytrap feeding factors

It is necessary to ensure that the insects are small and completely contained in the trap. If part of the fly or beetle remains outside, the trap will not close completely. She will not be able to digest the prey, as a result of which she will turn black and fall off. Ideal option there will be small flies, occupying 1/3 of the trap in size.

You should also take into account the fact that Dionaea reacts to insects only when it lacks nitrogen; at other times they are simply not interesting to it.

And one more important factor associated with plant feeding. You should not touch the trap leaves again. Since touching them can lead to idle slamming, which as a result will cause rapid blackening and death of traps , as well as when large insects get into them.

One meal should be made for one or two traps, no more. After feeding, they should be remembered and not fed for two months, choosing several others for this purpose.

Due to overnutrition, the plant can get sick and die, so this process must be controlled in home crops. And if she catches insects in the fresh air, then no control over nutrition is needed.

Venus flytrap bloom

The Venus flytrap blooms in late spring or early summer. A long peduncle with a corymbose inflorescence at the end, consisting of small white flowers, grows from a leaf rosette.

Although the inflorescence looks simple, it smells very pleasant. The flowering of the crop lasts for two months, after which the seeds are formed.

Pruning a Venus flytrap

The plant does not need pruning, but to maintain its decorative appearance, dried leaf blades, traps and flower stalks should be removed. The only case when this procedure may be required is during the process of obtaining seeds.

If the gardener is not interested in seed material that ripens by autumn, he needs to cut off the peduncle with inflorescences before they bloom. This is done so as not to exhaust the flower with prolonged flowering and allow it to form healthy traps.

How to get Venus flytrap seeds?

To obtain seed material, during the flowering of the plant, you should pollinate the flowers manually using a cotton swab or take the crop out into the open air and allow insects to do this.

If the process was successful, then within a month, miniature boxes with seeds will begin to form, which can subsequently be used to produce new plants.

Venus flytrap wintering

Starting from the end of September, a period of rest begins for Dionaea. A sign of its onset is the cessation of the formation of new leaf plates, as well as the darkening and falling of old ones. In addition, the rosette also begins to decrease in size. During hibernation, the plant should stop feeding.

Feeding should only be resumed in the spring. Watering should be kept to a minimum, and the water from the pan should be poured out. However, the grower must ensure that the soil does not dry out, since if this happens, the plant will die.

With the onset of December, the flytrap is transferred to a cool room, where temperatures will vary from 2 to 10 degrees. Some people take the culture to the basement or to an insulated balcony, having previously packed the flytrap in a plastic bag.

In February, the plant begins to slowly emerge from sleep. You can help him with this by moving him to his usual habitat - a warm and bright room. The leaf plates remaining after wintering are cut off and they begin to care for the flycatcher in the usual way. Dionaea will fully awaken at the end of May, after which it will grow again and begin to hunt insects.

Growing a Venus flytrap from seeds

The most troublesome way to propagate a plant is by seed. Since the seed material quickly loses its viability, it should be sown three months after pollination of the inflorescences.

Seeding is carried out in warm earth a mixture consisting of sphagnum (70%) and quartz sand (30%), which can be replaced with perlite. If the seeds were purchased in a store, then before planting it is necessary to stratify them in the refrigerator for 1.5 months, after wrapping them in damp moss and packing them in a bag.

The finished seeds must be scattered over the surface of the soil without embedding and sprayed with distilled water using a spray bottle. Then you need to move the container to a warm and bright place, covering it with polyethylene. All this time, the greenhouse should be ventilated and the soil moisture monitored.

After three weeks, shoots will appear, and when they sprout, they are planted in small containers until they are fully grown. The young plant is transplanted to a permanent place of growth after three to four years.

Venus flytrap propagation by cuttings

When propagating Dionaea using leaf cuttings, a leaf is cut from the plant and treated with a growth stimulator, after which the cutting is planted at an angle in a moist substrate of peat and perlite, covered plastic bottle and putting it away in a warm and bright place.

From time to time, the cuttings need to be ventilated and the soil moistened. After three months, shoots will begin to appear. It should be borne in mind that cuttings are quite often damaged by fungal diseases during the rooting process.

Venus flytrap propagation by dividing a bush

The simplest and reliable way propagation is bush division, which is carried out during transplantation. For this purpose, remove the plant from the pot, shake off the soil from the roots and carefully separate the daughter rosettes from the mother plant, placing them in separate containers.

Young crops are kept in partial shade until they adapt to the new substrate.

Diseases and pests

Despite the fact that this crop is a predator and feeds on insects, it sometimes also suffers from them. Most often, the plant is affected by aphids or spider mites, which feed on the sap of traps, stems and leaves, leading to wilting and death. You can get rid of these pests by treating the plant with Actellik according to the instructions indicated on the package.

Diseases that threaten the plant develop against the background of improper care, or more precisely, waterlogging of the soil. If the soil is overly moistened for a long time, sooty fungus or gray rot will begin to appear on the crop.

The drug “Fitosporin” will help get rid of these ailments of fungal etiology. However, before you begin processing, you need to remove the affected parts of the crop and remove the top layer of soil, which is also likely to be infected by the fungus.

The greatest danger to the Venus flytrap is bactericidal diseases that develop in the event of “improper” digestion of insects. This situation occurs when a flycatcher catches a fly that is too large and does not fit in the trap. As a result, the insect trap begins to rot, turn black and infect the entire plant. To avoid infection and restore Dionaea to health, you should remove the affected area and treat it with Actellik.

Conclusion

This exotic predator attracts flower growers not only for its decorative properties, but also for its interesting way of life, or rather, for its hunting of insects.

There are subtleties in caring for it, but if you take them into account and follow them, you can grow a beautiful and healthy flower that will delight you with its unusualness for many years.

Dionaea or Venus flytrap is a prominent representative of predatory insectivorous crops. Often the flower is grown at home on a windowsill or in a personal plot. He reaches small sizes. It looks very original, a little aggressive. In terms of content, he is capricious, picky, and requires maximum attention. Therefore, it is better to choose such exotic flowers for those who like to care for flowers. This article will tell you what a flytrap plant is: how to grow it at home.

The flycatcher plant belongs to the Sundew family. The name translates as mousetrap. The flower was discovered in 1760. At that time it was named Dionaea after the Greek goddess. As an indoor crop, the flycatcher is popular all over the world.

Peat bogs are where the Venus flytrap grows. The flower is widespread in Georgia, North and South Carolina, and New Jersey.

The species is on the list of endangered crops.

A detailed description of the flytrap plant is given below:

Exotic appearance flycatchers attract many flower growers and collectors. Therefore, in our country you can often find such a plant. You can read the article:

Varieties of flycatcher plant

There are different plants flycatchers: species of which differ in shape, color and arrangement of foliage. The classic variety is Dionaeamuscipula. But within this type there are specimens of different colors. For example, the inside of the trap leaf is more pink or it is completely green. The direction of leaf growth also sometimes changes: slanted upward or horizontally. Mutations of the leaf plate are also common, when 3 valves grow simultaneously.

At the moment, about 25 species of Dionaea are known, which differ in the color of the leaves and the shape of the teeth. However, such a Venus flytrap plant is not suitable for propagation. Because the seeds do not pass on the mother's genes. In Russia, it is almost impossible to find culture on sale. Therefore, you have to buy through foreign online stores.

The following varieties of Venus flytrap are popular:

How to grow a flycatcher?

The flytrap flower is grown very successfully at home. But for this exotic culture, certain conditions must be created. Otherwise, she will start to get sick and may even die. It is important to understand how to propagate a plant, plant and care for it. There are three methods of propagation: seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings.

Growing a plant from seeds

Dionaea blooms in early summer or spring. White graceful flowers form on the peduncles. This process takes a lot of energy from Dionaea. Therefore, buds are left only if seeds are needed.

The flytrap plant is not capable of pollinating on its own at home. Therefore, this work must be done manually. After the bud opens, take a brush, carefully collect pollen from one flower and transfer it to the pistil of another. Cross pollination do this with each flower. A month after the ovary appears, the seeds will ripen.

The seeds of the flytrap plant are used for propagation only by experienced gardeners. Because this process is very labor-intensive and long. The collected seeds are subjected to stratification. This increases their chances of germination. The material is soaked in a cloth moistened with potassium permanganate and placed in a refrigerator drawer. Moisturize periodically. Stratification lasts about two months. After this time, sowing begins.

Dionaea likes acidic soil. To prepare the substrate, take perlite, moss, peat and quartz sand. Next, do the following:

• Fill the box with prepared soil. In this case, there is no need to lay out a drainage layer on the bottom.
• Sow the seeds, sprinkling them with a layer of moss.
• Cover the container with plastic wrap or glass.
• Maintain the temperature at +24-28 degrees.
• Place the pot in a well-lit place. It is optimal if daylight hours last 15 hours. When there is a shortage of light, lamps are used.
• The soil is regularly moistened, preventing it from drying out.

If you follow the algorithm exactly, sprouts will appear after 2-3 weeks. When a pair of true leaves are formed, the seedlings are hardened off. For this purpose, open the glass for a while and ventilate it. The roots of the sprouts are quite fragile, so transplantation should be done carefully. Knowing how to grow a flytrap from seeds, you can get a beautiful plant.

Cuttings - a method of propagating a flower

The predator Venus flytrap plant is propagated by cuttings in the spring. To do this, several leaves are cut from the rosette and placed in a biogrowth stimulator. Prepare a substrate from peat and quartz sand. Pour soil into a container and plant the cuttings. Cover with a jar and place in a well-lit place. This method has some disadvantages. One of them is a high probability of infection by fungi and rotting. To avoid this, the pots should be ventilated regularly.

Dividing a flycatcher bush

This method is the simplest. When replanting, the flycatcher is removed from the pot and the soil is shaken off. Using a knife, the fused rosettes are separated. Flowers are planted in containers.

How to care for a flytrap plant at home?

To get good plant flytrap at home: proper care should be organized.

Dionaea is quite difficult to grow. But caring for it is much easier than other exotic crops.

Caring for a flytrap plant involves performing a number of activities and following some recommendations:

You need to understand how to care for the flytrap plant in the cold season. In autumn and winter, culture needs peace. To do this, with the onset of winter, they stop watering, reduce lighting, and lower the temperature to +5 degrees. This process should be gradual and begin in the fall. The rest period lasts 3 months. Dionaea is stored in the refrigerator. It is important not to forget to moisten the soil periodically, otherwise the flower may wither. In spring, the plant is taken out of the refrigerator drawer and the temperature is gradually increased.

How to protect crops from pests and diseases?

Dionaea is rarely, but still subject to attack by harmful insects, especially aphids, which like to settle in traps. This leads to their deformation. In order to combat aphids, special aerosols are used. Spider mites often overwhelm the crop. This occurs at low air humidity. Then the flycatcher is treated with an acaricide solution.

Diseases arise due to violation of maintenance rules. If the air is over-humidified, black spots form on the inflorescence, which indicates infection with mold fungi. Fungicides will help cope with this problem. If a gardener notices gray fluff, you need to urgently remove the infected parts and spray the flytrap.

By the way a flycatcher looks, you can judge its state of health. Sometimes it happens that the trap begins to rot. This happens due to the fact that the plant is not able to digest the insect. This is a very dangerous condition. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to properly and what to feed Dionaea.

The predatory insectivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a species of a monotypic genus of the Sundew family. Under natural conditions, such a plant can be found in New Jersey, Georgia, as well as North and South Carolina, and it prefers to grow in boggy peat bogs. This species was included in the American list of endangered plants.

The scientific name of this plant is muscipula, which means “mousetrap”. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the specialist who described this type, just made a mistake. In England, such a flower is called Venus flytrap, which is identical to the Russian name “Venus flytrap”. In another way, this plant is also called Dionea. This flower was first found in 1760, at the same time it was given the name Dionea in honor of the Greek goddess who was the mother of Aphrodite (Venus). Such unusual flower have long been grown in room conditions, and it is very popular among flower growers all over the world.

1. Bloom. It is observed in May or June and lasts several weeks.
2. Illumination. In general, the plant needs diffused bright light. However, every day for 4–5 hours the flower should be illuminated by direct rays of the sun. Windows with eastern or western orientation are well suited for growing it. If the Venus flytrap grows in a terrarium or florarium, then it must be provided with additional lighting with special lamps.
3. Temperature. In the spring-summer period, the air temperature in the room can vary from 20 to 30 degrees, and in winter time it can be reduced to 8 degrees.
4. Watering. Experienced flower growers recommend placing the flower pot on a tray filled with water (rain or distilled water is best). Moreover, pay attention to the fact that the holes at the bottom of the pot must be immersed in liquid. In this case, when the plant needs moisture, it will be able to take it in the right amount.
5. Humidity. Such a flower needs very high level air humidity. That is why it is recommended to cultivate it in a florarium or terrarium.
6. Fertilizer. The plant does not need feeding, since it takes all its nutrients from insects. During the growing season, one bush should be fed with 2 or 3 flies, which should not be very large and must be alive. At the same time, you cannot put flies in the same trap every time.
7. Rest period. With the coming autumn period watering is reduced, and water cannot be left in the pan. Before the onset of spring, it is recommended to move the bush to a cool place (from 7 to 10 degrees), while it is completely deprived of light and nutrition. But do not forget to occasionally water the soil mixture with a small amount of water. In the first days of March, the bush is moved to its permanent place and all the traps remaining from last year are cut off. Then you need to gradually return to the care that the plant requires during the growing season.
8. Transfer. The flower is replanted in the spring at the very beginning of the growing season, but only if necessary (usually once every 2 or 3 years).
9. Reproduction. Leaf cuttings, dividing the bush, and sometimes seeds (if artificial pollination is successful).
10. Pests. Spider mites and aphids.
11. Diseases. Sooty fungus.

The perennial flower Venus flytrap is an insectivorous herbaceous plant that belongs to the Sundew family. This genus includes only one species. An adult bush reaches a height of no more than 15 centimeters. The plant has a bulbous stem. During flowering, a tall peduncle appears, on which a corymbose inflorescence is formed, consisting of white flowers. Since under natural conditions such a predatory flower grows in soil in which the nitrogen content is very low, it obtains this element from mollusks (or rather, slugs), as well as from various insects.

From a short underground stem, 4–7 leaf blades grow, which form a rosette. After the bush fades, it begins to grow traps. Their length can vary from 8 to 15 centimeters, and they are colored green, however, under intense lighting, the color of their internal cavity becomes reddish. The formation of traps is observed at the tops of short petioles, which are collected into a rosette. The length of the petioles gradually increases and over time they occupy a vertical position. The trap consists of 2 slamming doors, along the edge of which there are very sparse bristles. The trap has glands inside that are capable of producing nectar, which is what attracts the prey. There are also 3 triggers on the edge of the trap. After they are irritated by the insect, the trap will abruptly slam shut, and the Venus flytrap itself will begin to produce digestive secretions. The plant is able to digest its victim in 5–10 days, and then it will open the trap leaf again. One trap can digest 2-3 insects, and then it dies. But it also happened that the same trap was able to digest 7 victims in a row.

The Venus flytrap is cultivated both indoors and in the garden. Despite the fact that it is quite difficult to grow it, it is quite possible if you know all the rules and features.

Illumination

In order for the flower to develop normally, it will need to create the most suitable conditions. Experts advise, if possible, to place the bush on a window with a western or eastern orientation. When choosing suitable place for it, it should be taken into account that it needs sunbathing every day for a duration of 4 to 5 hours. Moreover, remember that the bush can normally tolerate the rays of only the evening or morning sun. If there is too little light, then the Venus flytrap will need additional artificial lighting.

This flower, cultivated at home, is often grown in florariums or terrariums, since it is in this case that the optimal level of air humidity can be achieved, which should be quite high. But in these conditions, the flower must be provided with artificial lighting: for this, a lamp must be installed at a height of about 20 centimeters from the bush, the power of which must be at least 40 watts. The lamp must be turned on every day, and the optimal length of daylight for such a plant is from 14 to 16 hours.

The flower reacts extremely negatively to stagnant air; therefore, the room where it is located must be systematically ventilated. However, there should be no draft, and the bush should definitely be shaded from direct rays of the sun. In the summer, if possible, move the bush to the balcony. Remember that the flower reacts extremely negatively to any movement, so when trying to achieve uniform growth of the bush, it should never be rotated.

Temperature

In summer, such a plant should be kept at an air temperature of 20 to 30 degrees. And in winter, it is recommended to move it to a cooler place (about 7 degrees).

Watering

The root system of such a plant cannot process mineral salts from the soil; therefore, soft rainwater is used for irrigation. But keep in mind that such water must be stored in plastic containers, not metal ones. If there is no rainwater, then it can be replaced with distilled water. Make sure that the soil mixture in the container is always slightly damp. If the plant feels a lack of water, then its traps may die because of this.

Water the usual way Venus flytrap is not recommended. It is better to place the pot with the bush on a tray, into which water is then poured. Make sure that the holes at the bottom of the pot, intended for drainage, are immersed in liquid. In this case, the plant will be able to take water when it needs it.

Top dressing

This flower does not need fertilizing, so there is no need to add any fertilizers to the soil mixture. It gets all the nutrients it needs from the insects it eats.

In no case should you use beetles with a hard chitinous shell, earthworms and gnawing insects to feed such a flower, as they can injure the trap. Also, you cannot use sausage or meat for feeding, as this may cause rot on the trap. Throughout the entire growing season, it is enough to give the bush 2 or 3 not very large spiders, flies or mosquitoes. You cannot give an insect to a plant if:

• it is weakened or affected by some kind of disease;
• it was grown in an overly humid environment and with poor lighting;
• the bush was recently replanted or suffered any other stress.

From the last days of September, any feeding must be stopped, and it is resumed again only with the onset of spring.

A Venus flytrap grown indoors requires regular transplants, which are carried out once every 2 or 3 years. Best time for this procedure - spring. flower pot To transplant a bush, you need to choose a tall one, but not wide. The fact is that its root system can reach about 20 centimeters in length. Replant the Venus flytrap very carefully, as its root system is quite fragile. To begin, remove the bush from the container, and then remove all the soil mixture from its roots. If the substrate is poorly separated from the root system, it is immersed in water for some time. The foliage must be washed with a sprayer.

A suitable soil mixture should consist of perlite, peat and quartz sand (2:4:1). Before connecting all the components together, the sand should be boiled in distillate, and the perlite should be filled with water for 7 days. This plant does not need a drainage layer. When the replanting is completed, the bush will need 5 weeks of rest, during which time it will be able to adapt to the fresh soil mixture. Throughout this entire time, the bush should be in slight shade, and do not forget to increase the amount of watering.

How to care during the flowering period

The Venus flytrap blooms in May or June. The bush grows long flower stalks, at the top of which corymbose-shaped inflorescences are formed; they contain white flowers, which reach about 10 mm in diameter and have a sweetish odor. The bush blooms for several weeks. If you don't want seeds, then cut off all the buds from the bush before they open. The fact is that flowering takes a lot of energy from the plant, and therefore the development and growth of its traps worsens.

Winter care

With the onset of autumn, new leaves stop growing, and the flower itself begins to prepare for a dormant period. The plant needs to be helped to go into hibernation; to do this, it will be enough to reduce the number and frequency of watering, and the water now needs to be poured out of the pan. In winter, the bush should be kept in a shaded place, where it should be quite cool (about 7–10 degrees). For example, the plant can be moved to a closed loggia, and if desired, it can be placed along with the pot in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator. Throughout the winter, the flower does not need either light or nutrients. However, the Venus flytrap needs to be watered in winter, but this is done very carefully and rarely, since if water stagnates in the substrate, the root system can rot. During the dormant period, the bush completely loses its decorative effect: its foliage turns brown and dies.

In the first half of March, the bush is moved to its permanent place, after which all the traps remaining from the previous growing season are cut off. Then they begin to care for it in the same way as is necessary in the warm season. But remember that the bush will begin to grow intensively only in last days May.

Reproduction methods

To grow a Venus flytrap from seeds, you first need to get them. And this will require artificial pollination of its flowers, which is carried out using a cotton swab or a brush with soft bristles. If pollination is successful, then about 30 days after it, small boxes will form on the bush, inside of which there are seeds.

Remember that the seed material of such a flower quickly loses its viability, so it must be sown 3 months after the end of pollination. To do this, take a small container filled with warm soil mixture, which includes 30 percent quartz sand and 70 percent sphagnum moss. If the seed material has been lying around longer, then before starting sowing, it must be stratified. To do this, the seeds are wrapped in moss and placed in a bag that is tightly closed. This bag is then placed on the refrigerator shelf for 6 weeks.

Distribute the seed material over the surface of the soil mixture, and there is no need to cover it. Then moisten the crops with a sprayer using soft water. The container is transferred to a mini-greenhouse and placed under bright but diffused light, which can be either artificial or solar. Optimal temperature air for germination - from 24 to 29 degrees. The first seedlings should appear after 15–20 days. Check the surface of the substrate every day and, if necessary, moisten it with a spray bottle, as it should always be slightly damp. When another 15–20 days have passed, the grown and strengthened seedlings dive into individual small pots, reaching 80 to 90 mm in diameter. But remember that the seedling you grow will not become an adult plant soon, but only after about 5 years.

Leaf cuttings

Cut a leaf blade from an adult bush. The cut site is treated with Kornevin, after which the cutting must be planted in a soil mixture (peat and quartz sand) at an angle, covered with a transparent bag or glass jar on top, and transferred to a place with diffused and bright light. The leaf will remain there until shoots appear at its base. As a rule, this happens after 3 months. Remember that not all leaf cuttings will be able to take root, as they are often affected by fungal diseases.

Dividing the bush

This flower can also be propagated by dividing the bush. This method is the simplest and fastest, and therefore is very popular among gardeners. It is recommended to carry out division during transplantation. To do this, take a bush that is 1–2 years old, pull it out of the container, remove all the soil mixture from the roots, and then use a pre-sterilized sharp instrument to separate the daughter rosettes from the adult bush. They are planted in individual pots and put in a shaded place, where they will remain until they take root.

Pests

Despite the fact that the Venus flytrap is an insectivorous plant, it can also suffer from various pests. For example, aphids may inhabit the traps, causing them to become deformed. To get rid of this harmful insect, you can treat the flower with an insecticidal preparation (in aerosol form).

If the room has excessively dry air, then spider mites may settle on the bush. To exterminate them, you will need to spray the bush with a solution of an acaricidal drug. One treatment will not be enough, so the plant is sprayed 2 or 3 times with a break of 7 days.

Diseases

When water stagnates in the substrate and air humidity levels are excessively high, sooty fungus forms on the bush. To get rid of it, fungicidal agents are used. Also, if a flower is placed in unsuitable conditions, gray rot or botrytis may develop on it. As a result, gray fluff appears on the surface of the bush. As soon as the first signs of such a disease are noticed, you need to cut off all the affected parts of the bush as soon as possible, and then it is sprayed with a solution of a fungicidal drug.

Bactericidal damage is very dangerous for such a plant. It develops when the Venus flytrap is unable to digest the victim it has caught. Because of this, the insect trap rots, turns black, and then the disease rapidly spreads throughout the bush. In this case, cut off the problematic trap as soon as possible and spray the bush with a fungicidal solution.

Types and varieties of Venus flytrap

In Dionaea, the genus is monotypic, which means that it includes only one species: the Venus flytrap. However, thanks to breeders, today there are a large number of varieties. For example:

1. Dantate Trap. The diameter of the bush can reach from 10 to 12 centimeters and it forms 5–12 traps. The plant is colored green, with a red stripe running along the front surface of the traps. The inner surface of the traps is red. Both foliage and traps are placed almost vertically.
2. Giant. The leaf rosette of this flower is green. In a relatively short time, the bush forms traps that are larger than 50 mm. If the lighting is bright, then the traps are painted a rich purple hue.
3. Akai Riu. In such a plant, both the foliage and the traps are painted in a dark red hue, which persists both in shade and in bright light. There is a green stripe on the outer surface of the traps.
4. Regyula. The leaf blades of the bush are green, and there are also alternating red and purple traps.
5. Bohemian Garnet. The dark green bush reaches about 12 centimeters in diameter, and 5–12 traps are formed on it. Wide leaf plates cover the entire surface of the soil mixture. Traps are also placed horizontally.
6. Funnel Trap. While the bush is young, it is painted green, but after some time its traps turn red, but the petioles do not change their color. On one bush, 2 types of traps are formed, which differ in structure.
7. Croquedile. Young bushes are green in color, but the inner surface of the traps is pale pink. However, after some time the traps turn red. The leaf plates are arranged horizontally.
8. Triton. This green bush differs from other varieties in that its traps have an unusual shape. They are elongated and cut only on one side, and their teeth often stick together.
9. Dracula. The plant, which is colored green, has traps that have a red interior cavity. Their teeth are short, with a red stripe running from the outside at their base.

Predators are not friends with humans. Of the animals, only two were domesticated - a dog and a cat. To grow predator plants in a room, you will also have to work hard: they need the care of an experienced gardener. But how interesting it is to watch them!

Venus flytrap (AVenus Flytrap)

The halves of trap leaves resemble open jaws bristling with rows of sharp teeth. And for sure: as soon as a fly lands on their surface, the jaws instantly close and the plant begins the digestive process...

Why do flowers eat insects?? Of course, not because of bloodthirstiness. It’s just that they have long settled on poor soils, unable to provide enough nutrients. So we got the hang of getting food ourselves...

It's worth keeping a flytrap in your house. She is beautiful, original, and the moment of the hunt is an unforgettable sight! After all, the jaws slam shut sharply and tightly, hermetically, at this moment the flower resembles a living creature. It takes the “predator” about half a minute to analyze the victim. If, for example, a drop of water falls on a leaf, the jaws will open “hospitably” again... And if there is an insect, the closed leaf will immediately turn into a stomach. Apparently, the digestion process of the flytrap is not going so quickly - the trap will open again only after a few days. The whole procedure can occur no more than four times, then the leaf dies. But its functions have already been taken over by another - the flycatcher does not starve.

So where to start? Perhaps, because it will be difficult to purchase a green predator in a store - the demand for flycatchers is low. However, it is quite possible to acquire a plant. Where should I put it? The flycatcher is capricious. Loves light, but not bright. Give her fresh air, but without drafts. So the best place is an empty aquarium, which needs to be shaded during the “direct” sun.

Subject to such conditions, the flycatcher will retain its magnificent decorative effect throughout the spring and summer, and twice a year it will delight beautiful flowers. Plant enemies: dry air and high temperature.

Watering is not easy. On the one hand, the plant will die very quickly from dryness; the soil must be constantly moist. In spring and summer, soft water is needed; during the dormant period, watering is minimal. Some experts even recommend immersing the pot in water (the water level is 2 cm above the edge of the pot) for half an hour during watering.

On the other hand, we must not forget that the plant does not receive the bulk of its nutrients from the soil, therefore, if the flycatcher has enough animal food, do not be overzealous with watering, just monitor the soil moisture.

Three prerequisites. No fertilizers or fertilizing. No dead flies - the plant feeds exclusively on live insects and not very often. No, not even the slightest touch to the trap leaves!

Maintain air humidity at 70%; this is easier to do in an aquarium. Spray the plant regularly.

In winter, the air temperature should not exceed 7 degrees. In the spring, get used to the sun gradually. Propagation by roots and leaf cuttings. You can also use seeds, but it is too difficult. Substrate - as for any marsh plant: peat, perlite and sand in a combination of 4:2:1.

As I already said, keeping a flytrap in the house is difficult even if all the rules are followed. In general, insectivorous plants do not live long. And yet they are bred with pleasure! Because they are interesting to watch. Much more interesting than the traditional perennial inhabitants of our window sills.

Plants like flycatchers are not just exotic, they allow you to touch the secrets of nature and observe rare, interesting phenomena, such as the feeding of a flower by insects.

Write about your wonders.

(Drosera).

The Venus flytrap is a plant of the marshy areas of the east coast of the United States of America (Northern and South Carolina). The Venus flytrap catches its victims (insects, arachnids) using a specialized trapping apparatus formed from the edges of leaves. The slamming of the trap is initiated by thin trigger (sensitive) hairs on the surface of the leaves. To close the catching apparatus, it is necessary to exert a mechanical impact on at least two hairs on the sheet with an interval of no more than 20 seconds. This redundancy provides protection against accidental slamming in response to falling objects that do not have nutritional value(raindrops, debris, etc.). Moreover, digestion begins after at least five times of stimulation of the sensitive hairs.

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✪ PLANTS THAT EAT ANIMALS!!!

✪ predator plants. venus flytrap

Subtitles

Most plants get their food from the soil in which they grow. But what about plants living in areas with insufficient nutrients? Evolution solved this problem and presented the world with the most amazing creatures - plants that turned their stems and leaves into deadly traps. They learned to dissolve and assimilate the bodies of their victims, and most importantly, they developed unique ways of luring prey. Predators in our garden, which have become a unique link in the food chain! These “green predators” live, as a rule, in places with a lack of nitrogen and mineral salts in the soil, and animal food is an excellent source of both. Meat-eating plants can eat the same food as their non-carnivorous counterparts, but this makes them lethargic and shortens their life cycle. Today, more than six hundred species of carnivorous plants are known, divided into three groups: “insectivores,” whose prey is mainly insects; “aquatic” - fishing for micro-crustaceans; and the “I eat whoever I catch” group - plants with traps large enough to catch small animals. After a successful hunt, the caught game is digested by a certain “gastric juice”, which is produced by special glands of the plant, or the caught creature dies and rots, and the plant absorbs the products of decomposition. The only carnivorous plant whose process of catching insects can be seen with the naked eye is a cell plant - the Venus flytrap. Its leaves look like the mouth of an unknown monster. Each mouth is studded with spines-fangs, which act as bars in the cage; when the leaf slams shut, the prey can no longer get out of it. If the leaf slams shut idle, or something inedible gets into it, it will open itself within half an hour. If an insect is caught, the trap remains closed for several weeks until the food is completely absorbed. This “green monster” grows in a humid temperate climate on the Atlantic coast of the United States (Florida, North and South Carolina and New Jersey). The representative of insectivorous plants in Europe and the CIS countries is Sundew. Most often it can be found in middle lane Russia, growing in swampy areas, in places poor in useful minerals - the so-called “acidic soils”. In summer, the blooming sundew can be recognized by its small white flowers growing on a long stem-peduncle. The sundew itself is a rather inconspicuous marsh insectivorous grass with leaves lying on the ground, dotted with hairs. The liquid secreted by the hairs is very similar to dew, but in reality it is a deadly glue for insects, as well as an enzyme for digesting prey. The victim, attracted by the smell of this “pseudo-dew,” sits on a leaf and sticks to it. The hairs press the unfortunate creature to the surface of the leaf, the enzyme begins the process of dissolving food, and the leaf itself, meanwhile, curls up, depriving the captive last chances for salvation. The remains that the sundew has not digested fall to the ground, after which the leaves take on their usual appearance, the hairs become covered with beads of sticky “dew” and a new hunt begins. Some particularly large sundew species can catch even unwary frogs and small birds. Science knows about 130 varieties of this plant. In conditions similar to the habitat of the sundew, you can meet another “green predator” - the butterwort. In appearance, the butterwort is a rosette of large leaves tapering at the end, covered with a shiny sticky fat-like mass. During the flowering period, a stem with a purple flower grows from the center of the rosette. The principle of hunting and feeding is very similar to the sundew. Insects, attracted by the smell of “fat,” stick to the leaf, which is wrapped inward, and digestive secretions break down the prey. The resulting minerals and amino acids are absorbed by the plant, then the leaf unfolds and waits for the next portion of “guests”. Darlingtonia also loves marshy areas, and looks like a cobra ready to strike. It is for its pitchers, shaped like a snake’s hood, that Darlingtonia received the nickname “Cobra plant.” This is a truly insidious plant: it not only lures insects into its jug with a sweet aroma, but also has numerous false “exits” on its walls, directed downward and preventing the victim from getting out. But bladderwort is a predator plant whose habitat is standing water. Bladderwort is deprived of the roots usual for plants, which is why it preys on insects and small crustaceans. The catching “bubbles” are located under water along with the leaves; only its flowers float on the surface. The “bubbles” have a certain “entrance” that opens as soon as an insect is nearby. The signal to open the “bubble” comes from the hair-probes located near the “entrance”. When an insect catches a hair, the “bubble” opens and draws the prey inside along with water. Then the digestion of food begins. The habitat of another carnivorous plant called Nepenthes or Pitcher is tropical forests. It grows mainly as a vine, but among the 80 varieties of this plant there are also shrubs. “Pitcher plant” got its name from the special shape of its leaves, reminiscent of a pitcher, which helps it collect rainwater. These “jugs” are also large enough to catch frogs, rodents and small birds. However, insects remain the main prey of Nepenthes. On the inside of the pitcher walls there are glands that produce nectar and wax. The nectar lures prey, but the smooth wax prevents it from escaping and the insect, falling into the water at the bottom of the jug, drowns. The next carnivorous plant is the beautiful BIblis. This low shrub is native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea, as well as small areas in Western Australia. Byblis branches are dotted with narrow long leaves, on the surface of which there are bristles and glands that secrete a strong adhesive substance and a digestive enzyme. Both insects and small animals fall into such a trap. Australian Aborigines once believed that the biblis was even capable of catching and digesting a person. But this did not stop them from using Byblis leaves as a source of glue. And this bright representative of insectivorous plants lives in swamps and belongs to the Sarracenia family. Sarracenia has bright flowers and bright green leaves dotted with crimson capillary lines. Its leaves resemble envelopes exuding sweet juice. Once caught in such a trap, the insect is doomed. But the scenario with digestion and assimilation is still the same. And although the process of hunting Sarracenia is not as spectacular as, for example, the hunting of a Venus flytrap, it is nevertheless quite interesting to watch the flower. Today, these miracle plants can be purchased in many flower shops, including online. The buyer is given a very wide choice. So, if you have a desire to decorate your home and at the same time keep it free from annoying insects, these “green predators” can help you with that.

Name

Scientific species name ( muscipula) is translated from Latin as “mousetrap”, probably due to a botanist’s mistake, at least that’s what is commonly believed. Template:Biophoto Template:Biophoto Template:Biophoto Template:Biophoto

The species received its Russian name in honor of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and plants. English name species (eng. Venus "s-flytrap, or Venus flytrap, or Venus" flytrap) corresponds to Russian.

Biological description

Template:Biophoto The Venus flytrap is a small herbaceous plant with a rosette of 4-7 leaves that grow from a short underground stem. The stem is bulbous. Leaves range in size from three to seven centimeters, depending on the time of year, long trap leaves usually form after flowering.

Trap closing mechanism

The Venus flytrap belongs to a small group of higher plants capable of rapid movements, along with such species as: mimosa bashful ( Mimosa pudica), Codariocalyx motorius, sundew (genus Drosera) and pemphigus (genus Utricularia).

The mechanism of leaf collapse depends on a complex interaction between its elasticity, turgor and growth. The slamming of the trap occurs after two successive stimulations of the sensitive hairs (with a short interval between them); This allows you to avoid false triggering of the trap when drops of water or debris enter. When open, the lobes of the trap are convex (curved outward); after closing, the lobes bend, forming a cavity inside, the exit from which is closed by hairs.

Such a mechanism is described as a bistable system with fast switching, but at present the detailed mechanism of trap closure is not fully understood. When sensitive hairs are mechanically irritated, an action potential is generated (calcium ions play a significant role in this process). The action potential then propagates through the lobes of the trap and stimulates the cells of the lobes and the midrib between the lobes. It is assumed that the Venus flytrap has a threshold of ion concentration, overcoming which allows the trap to respond to stimulation. After closing, the Venus flytrap "counts" additional stimuli that irritate the hairs to five, after which it begins to secrete digestive enzymes. According to the acid growth theory, individual cells in the outer layer of the lobes and midrib rapidly export H+ (hyroxonium cations) from the cytoplasm into the cell wall space (apoplast), resulting in acidification of the apoplast (drop in pH) and weakening of the polysaccharide network, which then leads to swelling through the process of osmosis. Local swelling leads to elongation and change in the shape of the trap lobes. An alternative hypothesis is that cells in the middle layer of the trap and midrib lobes may secrete other ions as a result of an action potential, allowing water to follow them out of the cells (according to the law of osmosis). As a result, the cells collapse and the shape of the trap changes. Nevertheless, the proposed mechanisms are not mutually exclusive and can function simultaneously. There is a number of experimental data confirming the possibility of functioning of both mechanisms.

Digestion

If the prey fails to free itself, it continues to stimulate the inner surface of the leaf blades, causing cell growth. Eventually, the edges of the sheets close, completely closing the trap and forming a “stomach” in which the digestion process takes place. The secretion of digestive enzymes is controlled by jasmonic acid. Interestingly, this hormone also initiates the formation of toxic secondary metabolites to protect against herbivores in plants that are not capable of predation.

Digestion is catalyzed by enzymes, hydrolases, which are secreted by glands in the lobes. It is assumed that oxidative modifications of proteins occur before enzymatic digestion begins. The aqueous extract of the leaves contains a number of quinones, such as the naphthoquinone plumbagin, which together with a number of NADH-dependent dehydrogenases produces superoxide and hydrogen peroxide during autoxidation. Such oxidative modifications can damage the membranes of animal cells. Plumbagin is known to induce apoptosis associated with the Bcl-2 family of proteins. When preincubating Venus flytrap extract with NADH and NADH dehydrogenases in the presence of serum albumin; subsequent digestion of albumin by trypsin was accelerated. Despite the fact that the secretion of the glands of the Venus flytrap contains proteases and possibly other enzymes that ensure the degradation of biopolymers; It is likely that the above-described mechanism of preliminary oxidation of proteins significantly increases the sensitivity of prey proteins to subsequent proteolysis. In general, digestion takes approximately 10 days, after which all that remains of the prey is an empty chitinous shell. After this, the trap opens and is ready to catch new prey. During the life of the trap, an average of three insects fall into it.

Notes

1. For the conventionality of indicating the class of dicotyledons as a superior taxon for the group of plants described in this article, see the section “APG Systems” of the article “Dicotyledons”.
2. Lapshin P.  Venus flytrap ( Dionaea muscipula) [ ]
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